Mark 9:30 - Printer Friendly

ESV: They went on from there and passed through Galilee. And he did not want anyone to know,

NIV: They left that place and passed through Galilee. Jesus did not want anyone to know where they were,

NASB: And from there they went out and began to go through Galilee, and He did not want anyone to know about it.

CSB: Then they left that place and made their way through Galilee, but he did not want anyone to know it.

NLT: Leaving that region, they traveled through Galilee. Jesus didn’t want anyone to know he was there,

KJV: And they departed thence, and passed through Galilee; and he would not that any man should know it.

NKJV: Then they departed from there and passed through Galilee, and He did not want anyone to know it.

Jesus was from Galilee, specifically Nazareth (Luke 2:4). He began His formal ministry in Capernaum after the arrest of John the Baptist (Mark 1:14). Andrew and Peter's home in Capernaum apparently became His base of operations, and despite His many travels north and east, He always returns to Galilee.

It is in Galilee that He taught and healed large crowds (Mark 3:7–8; 4:1), was rejected by the people who knew Him best (Mark 6:1–6), and argued with the scribes and Pharisees (Mark 2:8–11, 17, 19–22, 24–26). Now, He makes one more tour through Galilee before He travels to Jerusalem, teaching the disciples as much as He can so they will be prepared for the work ahead.

Jesus has tried to bring His disciples away before with varying degrees of success (Mark 4:35; 6:31–32; 7:24). If Jesus stays in the public eye, He will be able to heal hundreds and teach thousands spiritual truths. But what He must teach the disciples is more important. Despite Jesus' plain words, they still don't understand that He will die and rise again. They won't understand until they see Him resurrected. When He is arrested, most will flee into the night (Matthew 26:56). When He is on trial, Peter will deny knowing Him (Matthew 26:69–75). When He is crucified, only John is as brave as the women who stand at the cross (John 19:26–27). When He is dead, Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea, who had secretly followed or met with Jesus (John 19:38–42), bury Him, and the women try to tend to His body (Mark 16:1–2); but the Twelve hide even after Mary Magdalene tells them she has seen Him risen again (John 20:19).

What Jesus shows here is that it's okay, and often essential, to take a break from active ministry in order grow personally. Just as He takes time to pray (Mark 1:35; 6:46; 14:32–39) so we need to set aside time to learn, rest, and allow God to renew our relationship with Him.

Mark 9:30–32 is the second of three times Jesus prophesies His death and resurrection (Mark 8:31; 10:32–34). After each time, the disciples display their catastrophic inability to understand what this means by denying His words (Mark 8:32–33), arguing over who is greatest (Mark 9:33–34), or requesting places of honor in His kingdom (Mark 10:35–37). The disciples find it profoundly difficult to accept that the Jewish Messiah has not come to give Israel independence from the Roman Empire but to give individuals freedom from sin. This information is also found in Matthew 17:22–23 and Luke 9:43–45.

Mark 9 continues Jesus' efforts to teach the disciples who He is, what He has come to do, and what their role is in His mission. The chapter begins with the transfiguration, where Peter, James, and John catch a glimpse of Jesus' glory, and ends back in Capernaum. Jesus spends most of that time teaching. Although the disciples do quarrel with the scribes, the misconceptions and errors Jesus addresses come from the disciples, themselves, not outsiders. In the next chapter, He will leave Galilee and travel toward Jerusalem and the cross.

The Gospel of Mark emphasizes both Jesus' servanthood and His role as the promised Messiah: the Son of God. This is done through a concise, action-packed style. Mark provides relatively few details, instead focusing on actions and simple statements. This relates to the Gospel's authorship, which is believed to be based on the memories of the apostle Peter. These include many of Jesus' miracles, in contrast to other Gospels which include many more of Jesus' teachings and parables. Mark also makes frequent mention of Jesus' ministry being misunderstood by others.